The main game had its issues. On the whole, I recommend it to survival horror fans who are starved for a more hardcore experience than most current games can offer--a feeling of tension and desperation that hearkens back to the original Resident Evil (PS1). A hesitant B+.

Why did I finish it/why am I talking about it so much? Why did I pay $20 for the season pass? Honestly, I don't know. I tend to obsess over games that are more difficult, and The Evil Within is particularly exasperating from a design standpoint. The atmosphere is great at times and the graphics very detailed, but be prepared for a crapton of one-hit-kills. On Nightmare and Akumu modes, you will run out of ammo constantly.

Anyway, it's the DLC I'm here to talk about now. Part one is called "The Assignment." It follows Juli Kidman, one of Sebastian's colleagues, as she experiences events parallel to those of the main game.

The Assignment is very good. I can't think of a single thing wrong with it so far. The reason is that they pared down on the action (not Mikami's strength as a game designer) to focus on what survival horror games do best (force you to sneak around and avoid detection rather than bust through every door guns blazing). I've only died twice so far, and then it was due to silly mistakes. It's the fear and anticipation of death, not the annoyance of repeatedly actually dying and having to sit through load screens, that makes horror games great. So far, the Assignment has capitalized on this wonderfully. Almost two hours in, the only items in my inventory are a flashlight and a handaxe. I got a gun for about a minute and thirty seconds and was able to effectively use it for one specific purpose. The rest of my arsenal has consisted of the environment itself: using light, sound, and the level's layout to my benefit.